03 January 2017

Scattershots – 3jan17 (updated 4jan17)

George Rebane

Having strong or well-formed political beliefs doesn’t always mean that one is also willing or able to reason about them.

Now some keenly honed liberal minds around here think that we should consider the source and therefore ignore the evidence against Hillary. That’s like telling the DA he can’t prosecute because the police got the goods on the defendant from shady informant Vlad the Snitch. Only in America.

In the 3jan17 Union there’s a letter from a Mr Ron Lowe, another leftwinger who lights off on President-elect Trump. The man shows his union school education by citing the non-existent “60s Republican war playbook” that is the source of Trump’s “obvious inferiority complex”, “fear mongering”, and “openly flagrant nuclear war talk”. Now since none of this is happening during his current efforts to set up his administration, Mr Lowe must be getting such reports from one of the many fake news manufactories that have sprung up within the usual lamestream media outlets.

I’m happy to know that our neighbors on the Left will now have at least four enlightening years of the Trump administration during which they will know exactly how we felt and why we protested during the last eight years under the ministrations of Barack Hussein Obama whose domestic policies increased regulations, decreased freedoms, raised taxes, stifled the economy, grew corrupt government; and whose foreign policy can be summarized by ‘Protect Muslims, Ignore Christians, Blame Jews’.

We're told that former POTUS Obama will have to remain in DC to guard his legacy and provide much needed leadership to the Democrats. Apparently there will be no one else from the Left who is willing to spend much political capital to secure fPOTUS an acceptable place in history. So he'll just have to do the job himself and become the festering fly in the federal ointment and also his own monument around which today's over-wrought socialists can rally while they seek to preserve the swamp.

[4jan17 update] Read if you dare Victor Davis Hanson’s most recent report on the state of the Golden State. Abetted by the toxic coastal elites and as we witness daily, our local Left is doing all it can to expand their progressive septic tank to Nevada County. Here is a paragraph, suitable for family reading, that summarizes the details of Hanson’s piece -

Abstract idealism on behalf of the distant is a powerful psychological narcotic that allows caring progressives to dull the guilt they feel about their own privilege and riches. Nowhere is this paradox truer than in California, a dysfunctional natural paradise in which a group of coastal and governing magnificoes virtue-signal from the world’s most exclusive and beautiful enclaves. The state is currently experiencing another perfect storm of increased crime, decreased incarceration, still ongoing illegal immigration, and record poverty. All that is energized by a strapped middle class that is still fleeing the overregulated and overtaxed state, while the arriving poor take their places in hopes of generous entitlements, jobs servicing the elite, and government employment.

Comments

One man's opinion: 8 years of Obama can be summed up as Arrogance coupled with Ignorance. One cannot get by with voting 'Present' when running a country as big as the USA.

Much has been written about the failure of the Left in 2016. "The Rust Belt"/ Midwest grabbed the lion's share of the focus. Looking back, it is easier to see ignored trends that were in front of our faces the whole time. 2016 was not an anomaly. In the Midwest plus Pennsylvania the Democratic presidential percentage dropped from 54 percent in 2008 and 51 percent in 2012 to 45 percent in 2016. That's Dem 50 electoral votes that went to Trump. Trump could have lost Florida and still won. Reminiscent of voters leaving the Southern Democrats of an earlier era. 66% of the Midwesterns (and Pennsylvanians outside of the Philly metro area) tie themselves to their regional culture. Midwestern values. Culture is king.

Here is one sentence that sums up the last 8 years for this poster. It includes a word that has been absent from the Left lately. That word is citizenry.

"What's missing in that is a concentration on the interests of one's own citizenry. To the left that smacks of nationalism, which some seem to regard as only a baby step away from Nazism. It is not."

Code identified by the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation as being used by Russian intelligence services is an outdated malware developed by Ukrainians that can be downloaded online, according to a blog post by the founder of WordFence.

WordFence is a plug-in designed to protect users of WordPress that has been downloaded over 1 million times. The report released last Thursday by the DHS and FBI, titled “Grizzly Steppe,” contains a PHP malware sample which WordFence employees analyzed.

“Our security analysts spend a lot of time analyzing PHP malware, because WordPress is powered by PHP,” the blog post written by WordFence founder and CEO Mark Maunder said in a post Friday. “We used the PHP malware indicator of compromise (IOC) that DHS provided to analyze the attack data that we aggregate to try to find the full malware sample.”

The tech CEO wrote: “The PHP malware sample they have provided appears to be P.A.S. version 3.1.0 which is commonly available and the website that claims to have authored it says they are Ukrainian. It is also several versions behind the most current version of P.A.S which is 4.1.1b. One might reasonably expect Russian intelligence operatives to develop their own tools or at least use current malicious tools from outside sources.”

Something of a fixture on Broad Street, Ron Lowe is always amusing; some of that is unintentional but he's more of a George Rebane age than a Hillary Hodge age... I'm pretty sure his education predates the teacher's unions.

He does strike me as a Vietnam War era peacenik and I'd cut him a bit of historical slack... yes, Vietnam grew under Democratic presidents Kennedy and LBJ but Republican Robert McNamara was the Secy of Defense from '61 to '68, and Nixon's Melvin Laird wasn't any better.

I do find Lowe open to new ideas, though it's unclear for how long he remembers them. He obviously has problems getting around and I'm more worried about people as thin as he as I am about people as pudgy as Pelline. Nice enough guy, and local color.

Drain the swamp, my ass! The first thing house Republicans do is meet in secret to cut ethics from their vocabulary.. Ethics, ethics - we don't need no stinkin' ethics. What a hoot! It is going to be a fun 4 years!

Well George whatever the fuss about Hillary it was only campaign fodder for Trump since he doesn't intend to jail her as he blatted endlessly during the campaign. If she's a "crook" as we interminably heard from the Trumpster during the campaign go for it. It's not important anymore which means it was a bunch a crap from the start.

Not surprisingly, the Ethics story is not what BradC is ranting about.

WaPo described it like this:
"Under the proposed new rules, the office could not employ a spokesman, investigate anonymous tips or refer criminal wrongdoing to prosecutors without the express consent of the Ethics Committee, which would gain the power to summarily end any OCE probe."

In other words, it would have been more above board.

What got started by Pelosi in 2008 is more like the House Inquisition Office. It needs fixing but, by the terminology now in vogue... the "optics" are bad.

Paul, you're once again conflating issues. The corruption exposed by the WikiLeaked files are not the same acts of Clintons of illegally keeping classified material in her unsecured email server, or emailing it.

You're the one who thinks the Russkies interfered with the election... well, what you are charging is that the Russkies intentionally revealed Clinton's minor corruptions... helping push Trump in the earliest primaries, getting Hillary copies of "town hall" questions, pushing Bernie down in the polls... Fun stuff, not unlike the "rat fucking" preferred by Segretti and friends in an earlier time.

Brad C. Good thing Trump bitch slapped the GOP back down with that one as your link clearly illustrates. The Swamp includes many a politician and the cancer which is found in the Washington bureauracy. Unfortunately Trump has no control over the race baiters and haters on the left side of the aisle. Concerning the semi-independent Ethics Panel, it never hurts to keep an open mind and listen to ideas before giving a bad idea the big "You're fired".

Trump gave it a thumbs down. We must focus on fixing the damage done to our economy, our homeland security, our valuable Justice Department, our foreign affairs, our nation and not get hung up on such minor insignificant distractions. Gotta pick your battles. Wisdom displayed. All is well that ends well. Next.

Did you hear what Trump's New Year Resolution is? When asked he replied "To make America Great Again". I feel cautiously optimistic.

Happy New Year, Brad. May 2017 bring you much blessings and gratitude.

Brad C again. Trump is his own man and is as much a Republican as life long registered Independent Bernie Sanders is a Democrat. Gregory is right. The optics s wrong. Trump said the timing is wrong. I am sure they will try again to put the Ethics Panel back under House ontrol at a atter date and you can slay the dragon then. :)

Well once again Trump wimped out after his big bluster that he was going to put Hillary in jail. This is a Trump video in July during the 2nd debate. So Comey
right, there is no grounds for prosecution. This guy Trump) is a real phony and a liar. You can't believe a word he says.

"Donald J.Trump told Hillary Clinton during their second presidential debate that if he were elected he would seek a special prosecutor’s investigation of her and that if he were in charge, “You'd be in jail.”

No logic to it George. Trump will say whatever advances his cause at any given time with no intention what so ever to follow up, Do you want a definition? According to Webster "A liar is someone who tells lies" If trump says things like this and has no intention to do it at the time he says it he is, well, a liar.

Paul It's obvious you didn't read the link I posted last night, about Hillary not being free and clear. The investigation is back on. Somehow you think Trump is going to personally walk her to prison and make sure she's bunked with "Big Marge".Hillary burned her "get out of jail free" card. Trump seems to hold grudges. Revenge is a dish served cold. So when hillary least expects FBI cars littering her compound, she should expect the arrival. Trump may be following his own advice. keep your mouth shot, and don't give the opponent any clue.

Obama spent two decades sitting in Rev. Jerimiah Wright's church soaking up all that Black Theology hate for Israel. He puts The Muslim Brotherhood in the White House as advisors and on advisory committees. He immediately dropped the voter intimation charges against New Black Panthers members brandishing arms outside polling places (Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam's followers) that the Bush Administration filed. He palled around with and quoted professors who sing praise for Hamas and welcomed them to the White House.
He made the Israeli Ambassador and Foreign Minister sit in the waiting room for two-three hours as he goes upstairs and has dinner with his family and hangs out up there. Obama has shown nothing but contempt for Israel since day one. He directed $350,000 from the Administration's funds to a NGO to actively work on the ground in Israel to defeat Netanyahu in the 2015 elections. Talk about trying to influence other countries elections.

I recall that line I will never forget about Obama from the Austrialian press. To paraphrase from memory, "You can disagree with Obama on politics and he is ok with that. But if you disagree with Obama on ideology, he will hate you." Obama has shown hate for Israel. Maybe the seed was planted by his father or his time growing up overseas of which he wrote the "sweetest sound I ever heard was the call to prayer" from the Mosque.

We all know how much contempt Obama has shown for Conservative governments from Austrialia to Great Britain. So much so he had his Secretary of State declare the Socialist Party French President "our greatest alley." No conservative government ever received such love from Obama as new liberal Prime Minister of Canada when he beat the Conservatives.

At first I thought such hate it was about ideology. Looking back, I have no doubt we had a full blown anti-Semite in the Oval Office. Add anti-Semite to the list when discussing Obama's legacy.

Fish and Walt: You guys crack me up. Remember the mark of Lefties is they no sense of humor and they will even argue with you over that, lol. It's a fact, jack. A glum lot they are.
When all else fails remember to have fun as you enter into deep discussions with them. It took awhile, but it wasn't that hard to get Hillary to "short circuit".

Remember the mark of Lefties is they no sense of humor and they will even argue with you over that, lol. It's a fact, jack. A glum lot they are.

Still trying to figure out why self declared "libertarian" Paul Emery is so livid over the Trump victory if he doesn't like liars but breathlessly trots Obama stats like a hardcore lefty fanboi when even a casual search that Barry handles the truth like Dracula handles sunlight!

Glad to be able to give ya' a chuckle Bill. But your the perverted poet here. Even Mrs. who doesn't care too much for let's say,,,colorful language? Even she makes and exception for you. You do set off a nuke here now and then.(love it)

Your 4:23 is a great trip down memory lane. Now that would be a great "skunk" to toss onto the editorial page of The Union.
Good job Sir. Good job.

Geeze Louise. First it was Bush lied, Bush lied! Year in and year out each time we tried to discuss Zerobama. Now, today's obsession is a slightly different variation of BDS with the non-stop Trump lied, Trump lied, Trump lied! Let me tell ya fellas, the silent treatment is where it's at. It's glorious.
Beginning to feel sorry for ourresident tortured soul. I would throw the rabid dog a bone and say Trump lied just so he doesn't go postal on the innocent pedestrians in the Berkely of the Foothills. Come on, fellas, you can do it. So some mercy.

PS: Yes, this is on topic. Found the line in Dr. Rebane's excellent opening words, "Now some keenly honed liberal minds around here think that we should consider the source and therefore ignore the evidence against Hillary." Best to put Sam to bed now. May need him later after the Inauguration.

Progressive agenda/ideals? We don't need no stinkin' ideas, we just need to oppose Trump every single step of every single day. By Jove, I do believe I found his new playbook.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Critically, they [The Tea Party] were also purely defensive. They didn’t feel obligated to present alternatives to what was happening in Washington; they just said no. “While the Tea Party activists were united by a core set of shared beliefs, they actively avoided developing their own policy agenda,” the guide says. “Instead, they had an extraordinary clarity of purpose, united in opposition to President Obama. They didn’t accept concessions and treated weak Republicans as traitors.” Stopping Trump isn’t about coming up with alternatives, since Democratic alternatives will have nowhere to go under a unified Republican government, the guide adds. “The hard truth of the next four years is that we’re not going to set the agenda;"

"The key elements: organizing locally, sustained targeting of individual members of Congress (MoC), and accepting that we will be playing defense for at least the next four years (blocking a conservative/authoritarian goals, not advancing a progressive vision/agenda"

My biggest concern about Trump is that he's an idiot. Taking on the entire US Intelligence community on the Russian hacks is stupid beyond comprehension. Does he have any idea what they can do to him? Siding with Assange publicly is egotistic idiocy beyond belief.

PaulE 1139am - I wonder if you and yours would have called Bush2 an idiot if he had taken on the entire western world's intelligence community (including our own) when they all agreed that Saddam had and was using WMDs. Just a thought.

Good jab George. The difference is that Bush and the CIA were deliberating secretly on the matter. Trump is taking on the entire intelligence community and the Senate publicly through social media to apparently discredit their credibility and faith in their judgement. This is beyond precedent in my opinion.

George if you are willing to once again go through the blow by blow narrative as to how the CIA came to that conclusion about WMD's let's do it. Let me know. I am only reporting what Trump said about Bush.

I watched the Wikileaks guy Julian last night. Asked if the Russians or their agents supplied the emails, he NOPE! So Paul Emery, why do you think you have seen no facts from our government agencies on this?

LOL Paul,, Try harder. There is less evidence that the Russians hacked. I see another good application of salve to that LIB backside is in order.
Never mind the FACT that those WMDS that "didn't exist" HAVE been used, and under "O" watch no less. "Red lines" Paul,, RED LINES.... President nutless tucked tail and ran.. For the golf course.

Love it. The "intelligence community " said there were WMDS. Pauld still doesn't believe, because "they were Bush's people". Now just because they are on the LIB leash, he now takes their word?(with no proof what so ever.)
This keeps getting better and better Paul.

Thanks for affirming that you trust the opinion of Jullian Assange over our entire intelligence community. I have a hard time encompassing that. What do you know about Assange Todd. When I have a little time I'll refresh you.

My view on Bush and the war in Iraq is well documented on these pages Todd. I'm going to pull a George on you and say take the time to review my record on the matter then we'll talk.

PaulE 1203pm - "The difference is that Bush and the CIA were deliberating secretly on the matter." Wow! that's a new one. If there really was any evidence then or now that such a secret conspiracy to get the US to invade Iraq, then should we not have had that presented at Bush2's House impeachment and subsequent Senate trial? Where can one go to see such evidence?

But it is interesting that the CIA was then a traitorous rogue organ of government that has now rehabilitated itself to 'Veritas über Alles' without so much as a ripple of an intervening investigation or prejudiced reorganization. My, my, the mysteries you bring to us.

As a former CIA analyst, I never thought I’d see a U.S. president link arms with a man whose mission is to steal America’s hard-won secrets......

I was once one of them,(CIA) and I can only imagine how my former colleagues are feeling now. Never in our history has a U.S. president openly chosen to trust the word of a foreign adversary ahead of his own analysts.

Never, that is, until Donald Trump—who last night began a series of astonishing tweets expressing skepticism about U.S. intelligence agencies’ conclusion that Russia had hacked into Democratic Party institutions.

"Leading Republicans broke with Donald Trump on Wednesday after the president-elect appeared to put more faith in WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange than in US intelligence agencies.

The sharp differences on a highly charged national security issue are the latest sign that matters of intelligence and policy towards Russia reflect a deep fault line in Trump’s relationship with the Republican party establishment.

The House speaker, Paul Ryan, called Assange “a sycophant for Russia” on a conservative radio show and GOP Senator Tom Cotton told MSNBC that he had “a lot more faith in our intelligence officers serving around the world … than I do in people like Julian Assange”

No proof Paul, NO proof. Besides. The DNC is a civilian org. The "U.S. gov. election" wasn't hacked. Except by the LIBS who tried to rig it in their favor. That, there is evidence of. But you don't care one bit about that. Your ignoring of the facts I posted on that in the past makes it clear.

Good GOD Paul. Your in your "X" file mode. You now damned well LIBS do their best to manipulate the ballot box every election. that's nothing new.
Your pissed the truth got out about,and from the DNC. I don't give a shit WHO did it.
Sunlight is always the best disinfectant. The garrot is now gone from the American throat.

Look at the bright side. You still have Jerry and the kids in Sac. I can't wait to see the turmoil in the tarnished dome in Sac. when they lose FED funding, for everything from AGW to hiding illegals. Then watch the LIB convulsions.

Gave it to you a LONG time ago. Inside job Paul, inside job. He got killed for it.
I bet you can find that out... I know, your heart is set that Putin personally did it.
Heck! I bet you have a picture of him at the computer doing it.

Sorry,, not doing your homework for you. If you refuse to read supplied info that's your problem. And why bother at this point? You have already dug up McCarthy, and broke out the ouija board.
Couple of years? ( Someone check on Paul. He might be huddled in the corner switching the light on and off.)

Please pass the bleach I need to wash my eyes out. No warning Bill? I thought we were friends? Now I just might have to dig up the emergency, emergency MMJ stash out in the back 40 in the pouring rain. All that just to kill the vision of Rosi you forced upon me.
Trigger warnings Sir.. For the love of GOD and all things sacred. ( yet Paul would put a candle in the window.)

Holy Smokes Walt. Say it ain't so! Is that you? Really? My my. Must say I do like the red bandana and the winter look. Now you can go out and spend time in that shed on the back forty without getting your baby face cold. Don't drop any cherries in that beard....... :)
.

Oh that Todd. It was just a casual utterance by Assange with not a shred of proof. I guess according to you the source of all truth comes from Julian Assange who, by the way, was helpful in providing asylum for Edweard Snowden in Russia. Snowden has been accused of what some call Treason by the US. I suppose you support Assange's assistance of Snowden in avoiding arrest as well. Strange bedfellows, Todd Juvinal and Jullian Assange. Who would have ever believed Todd would take the word of someone who provides assistance to an person accused of theft of defense information over that of our Intelligence community.

Edward Snowden has been charged by the US government with theft, “unauthorized communication of national defense information” and “willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorized person”. The last two charges fall under the 1917 Espionage Act.